Implant with composite coating

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for implants with composite coatings to promote tissue in-growth and/or on-growth. An implant includes: a substrate; a structured surface formed on at least a portion of the substrate; and a biocompatible coating deposited on at least a fraction of the structured surface. The systems and methods provide advantages in that the implant has good biocompatibility while the biocompatible coating has good strength.

1. An implant, comprising:
 a substrate;  
 a structured surface formed on at least a portion of said substrate; and  
 a biocompatible coating deposited on at least a fraction of said structured surface;  
 wherein said structured surface includes a plurality of undercuts, and said biocompatible coating coats said plurality of undercuts in said structured surface;  
 wherein said coating is formed by a thin film technique adapted to deposit said coating on line-of-sight hidden surfaces within said plurality of undercuts of said structured surface; and  
 wherein said structured surface is porous and said biocompatible coating coats interconnected pores within said structured surface.  
 
     
     
       2. The implant of  claim 1 , wherein said biocompatible coating is more biocompatible than said structured surface. 
     
     
       3. The implant of  claim 1 , wherein said biocompatible coating is more biocompatible than said substrate. 
     
     
       4. The implant of  claim 1 , wherein said biocompatible coating is softer than said structured surface. 
     
     
       5. The implant of  claim 1 , wherein said biocompatible coating is softer than said substrate. 
     
     
       6. The implant of  claim 1 , wherein said thin film technique includes at least one deposition process selected from the group consisting of physical vapor deposition and chemical vapor deposition. 
     
     
       7. The implant of  claim 1 , wherein said substrate includes at least one material selected from the group consisting of carbon-composite, stainless steel, cobalt-chromium, titanium alloy, tantalum, and ceramic. 
     
     
       8. The implant of  claim 1 , wherein said biocompatible coating includes at least one material selected from the group consisting of titanium, tantalum, carbon, calcium phosphate, zirconium, niobium, hafnium, hydroxyapatite, and tissue in-growth and/or on-growth facilitating proteins. 
     
     
       9. The implant of  claim 1 , wherein said biocompatible coating includes multi-layers. 
     
     
       10. The implant of  claim 1 , wherein said biocompatible coating includes nano-layers. 
     
     
       11. The implant of  claim 1 , wherein said implant is an orthopedic prosthesis. 
     
     
       12. A method for orthopedic surgery which comprises surgically positioning said implant of  claim 1 , within a vertebrate in need thereof. 
     
     
       13. An osteoconductive process, comprising contacting a bone under in vivo conditions with said implant of  claim 1 . 
     
     
       14. An implant, comprising:
 a substrate;  
 a structured surface formed on at least a portion of said substrate; and  
 a biocompatible coating deposited on at least a fraction of said structured surface;  
 wherein said structured surface includes a plurality of undercuts, and said biocompatible coating coats said plurality of undercuts in said structured surface;  
 wherein said coating is formed by a thin film technique adapted to deposit said coating on line-of-sight hidden surfaces within said plurality of undercuts of said structured surface; and  
 wherein said structured surface is defined by a material that includes a plurality of particles that are sintered together to form a continuous porous phase.  
 
     
     
       15. An implant, comprising:
 a substrate;  
 a structured surface formed on at least a portion of said substrate; and  
 a biocompatible coating deposited on at least a fraction of said structured surface;  
 wherein said structured surface includes a plurality of undercuts, and said biocompatible coating coats said plurality of undercuts in said structured surface;  
 wherein said coating is formed by a thin film technique adapted to deposit said coating on line-of-sight hidden surfaces within said plurality of undercuts of said structured surface; and  
 wherein said structured surface is prepared by at least one method selected from the group consisting of sintering, flame spraying, acid etching, grit blasting, casting-in, forging-in, laser texturing, and micromachining.  
 
     
     
       16. A composition for an implant, comprising:
 a biocompatible material coated on a structured surface affixed to a substrate;  
 wherein the structured surface includes a plurality of undercuts, and said biocompatible material coats the plurality of undercuts in the structured surface;  
 wherein the coating is formed by a thin film technique adapted to deposit the coating on line-of-sight hidden surfaces within said plurality of undercuts of the structured surface; and  
 wherein the structured surface is porous and said biocompatible material coats interconnected pores within the structured surface.  
 
     
     
       17. The composition of  claim 16 , wherein said biocompatible coating is more biocompatible than the structured surface. 
     
     
       18. The composition of  claim 6 , wherein said biocompatible coating is more biocompatible than the substrate. 
     
     
       19. The composition of  claim 6 , wherein said biocompatible coating is softer than the substrate. 
     
     
       20. The composition of  claim 16 , wherein said biocompatible coating is softer than the substrate. 
     
     
       21. The composition of  claim 16 , wherein the thin film technique includes at least one deposition process selected from the group consisting of physical vapor deposition and chemical vapor deposition. 
     
     
       22. The composition of  claim 16 , wherein the substrate includes at least one material selected from the group consisting of carbon-composite, stainless steel, cobalt-chromium, titanium alloy, tantalum, and ceramic. 
     
     
       23. The composition of  claim 16 , wherein said biocompatible coating includes at least one material selected from the group consisting of titanium, tantalum, carbon, calcium phosphate, zirconium, niobium, hafnium, hydroxyapetite, and tissue in-growth and/or on-growth facilitating proteins. 
     
     
       24. The composition of  claim 16 , wherein said biocompatible coating includes multi-layers. 
     
     
       25. The composition of  claim 16 , wherein said biocompatible coating includes nano-layers. 
     
     
       26. An osteoconductive process, comprising contacting a bone under in vivo conditions with the composition of  claim 16 . 
     
     
       27. An orthopedic implant, comprising the composition of  claim 16 . 
     
     
       28. A method for orthopedic surgery which comprises positioning the composition of  claim 16  within a vertebrate in need thereof. 
     
     
       29. A composition for an implant, comprising:
 a biocompatible material coated on a structured surface affixed to a substrate;  
 wherein the structured surface includes a plurality of undercuts, and said biocompatible material coats the plurality of undercuts in the structured surface;  
 wherein the coating is formed by a thin film technique adapted to deposit the coating on line-of-sight hidden surfaces within the plurality of undercuts of the structured surface; and  
 wherein the structured surface is defined by a material that includes a plurality of particles that are sintered together to form a continuous porous phase.  
 
     
     
       30. A composition for an implant, comprising:
 a biocompatible material coated on a structured surface affixed to a substrate;  
 wherein the structured surface includes a plurality of undercuts, and said biocompatible material coats the plurality of undercuts in the structured surface;  
 wherein the coating is formed by a thin film technique adapted to deposit the coating on line-of-sight hidden surfaces within the plurality of undercuts of the structured surface; and  
 wherein the structured surface is prepared by at least one method selected from the group consisting of sintering, flame spraying, acid etching, grit blasting, casting-in, forging-in, laser texturing, and micromachining.  
 
     
     
       31. An implant, comprising:
 a substrate;  
 a structured surface formed on a portion of said substrate; and  
 a biocompatible coating deposited on at least a fraction of said structured surface;  
 wherein said structured surface includes a plurality of undercuts, and said biocompatible coating coats the plurality of undercuts in said structured surface;  
 wherein said coating is formed by a thin film technique adapted to deposit said coating on line-of-sight hidden surfaces within the plurality of undercuts of said structured surface;  
 wherein the portion of said substrate is to be fixed with tissue-in-growth and/or on-growth for stability; and  
 wherein said structured surface is defined by a material that includes a plurality of particles that are sintered together to form a continuous porous phase.  
 
     
     
       32. The implant of  claim 31 , wherein said biocompatible coating is more biocompatible than said structured surface. 
     
     
       33. The implant of  claim 31 , wherein said biocompatible coating is more biocompatible than said substrate. 
     
     
       34. The implant of  claim 31 , wherein said biocompatible coating is softer than said structured surface. 
     
     
       35. The implant of  claim 31 , wherein said biocompatible coating is softer than said substrate. 
     
     
       36. The implant of  claim 31 , wherein the thin film technique includes at least one deposition process selected from the group consisting of physical vapor deposition and chemical vapor deposition. 
     
     
       37. The implant of  claim 31 , wherein said structured surface is porous and said biocompatible coating coats interconnected pores within said structured surface. 
     
     
       38. The implant of  claim 31 , wherein said substrate includes at least one material selected from the group consisting of carbon-composite, stainless steel, cobalt-chromium, titanium alloy, tantalum, and ceramic. 
     
     
       39. The implant of  claim 31 , wherein said biocompatible coating includes at least one material selected from the group consisting of titanium, tantalum, carbon, calcium phosphate, zirconium, niobium, hafnium, hydroxyapetite, and tissue in-growth and/or on-growth facilitating proteins. 
     
     
       40. The implant of  claim 31 , wherein said biocompatible coating includes multi-layers. 
     
     
       41. The implant of  claim 31 , wherein said biocompatible coating includes nano-layers. 
     
     
       42. The implant of  claim 31 , wherein the implant is an orthopedic prosthesis. 
     
     
       43. A method for orthopedic surgery which comprises surgically positioning the implant of  claim 31  within a vertebrate in need thereof. 
     
     
       44. An osteoconductive process, comprising contacting a bone under in vivo conditions with the implant of  claim 31 . 
     
     
       45. An implant, comprising:
 a substrate;  
 a structured surface formed on a portion of said substrate; and  
 a biocompatible coating deposited on at least a fraction of said structured surface;  
 wherein said structured surface includes a plurality of undercuts, and said biocompatible coating coats the plurality of undercuts in said structured surface;  
 wherein said coating is formed by a thin film technique adapted to deposit said coating on line-of-sight hidden surfaces within the plurality of undercuts of said structured surface;  
 wherein the portion of said substrate is to be fixed with tissue-in-growth and/or on-growth for stability; and  
 wherein said structured surface is prepared by at least one method selected from the group consisting of sintering, flame spraying, acid etching, grit blasting, casting-in, forging-in, laser texturing, and micromachining.  
 
     
     
       46. An implant, comprising:
 a substrate;  
 a structured surface formed on at least a portion of said substrate; and  
 a biocompatible coating deposited on at least a fraction of said structured surface;  
 wherein said structured surface is defined by a material that includes a plurality of particles that are sintered together to form a continuous porous phase.  
 
     
     
       47. A composition for an implant, comprising:
 a biocompatible material coated on a structured surface defined by a substrate;  
 wherein said structured surface is defined by a material that includes a plurality of particles that are sintered together to form a continuous porous phase.  
 
     
     
       48. An implant comprising:
 a substrate;  
 a structured surface formed on a portion of said substrate; and  
 a biocompatible coating deposited on at least a fraction of said structured surface,  
 wherein said portion of said substrate is to be fixed with tissue in-growth and/or on-growth for stability; and  
 wherein said structured surface is defined by a material that includes a plurality of particles that are sintered together to form a continuous porous phase.  
 
     
     
       49. An implant, comprising:
 a substrate;  
 a structured surface formed on at least a portion of said substrate; and  
 a biocompatible coating deposited on at least a fraction of said structured surface;  
 wherein said structured surface is defined by a material that includes a plurality of particles that are sintered together to form a continuous porous phase; and  
 said biocompatible material penetrates the continuous porous phase through said structured surface to said substrate so as to coat the continuous porous phase on line-of-sight hidden surfaces within said structured surface.  
 
     
     
       50. A composition for an implant, comprising:
 a biocompatible material coated on a structured surface fixed on a substrate, wherein the structured surface either  
 (i) includes a plurality of undercuts and said biocompatible coating coats the plurality of undercuts in the structured surface, or  
 (ii) is porous and said biocompatible coating coats interconnected pores within the structured surface; and  
 wherein the structured surface is defined by a material that includes a plurality of particles that are sintered together to form a continuous porous phase, and said biocompatible material penetrates through the structured surface to the substrate so as to coat the continuous porous phase on line-of-sight hidden surfaces within the structured surface.  
 
     
     
       51. An implant, comprising:
 a substrate;  
 a structured surface formed on a portion of said substrate; and  
 a biocompatible coating deposited on at least a fraction of said structured surface;  
 wherein the portion of said substrate is to be fixed with tissue in-growth and/or on-growth for stability;  
 wherein said structured surface either 
 (i) includes a plurality of undercuts and said biocompatible coating coats said plurality of undercuts in said structured surface, or  
 (ii) is porous and said biocompatible coating coats interconnected pores within said structured surface; and  
 
 wherein said structured surface is defined by a material that includes a plurality of particles that are sintered together to form a continuous porous phase, and said biocompatible coating penetrates through said structured surface to said substrate so as to coat said continuous porous phase on line-of-sight hidden surfaces within said structured surface.